


Guilt

by Jingle



Series: The Reaction Trilogy [2]
Category: Penguins of Madagascar
Genre: Gen, Light Angst, brothers-in-arms, nothing is resolved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-06
Updated: 2015-04-06
Packaged: 2018-03-21 13:24:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3693893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jingle/pseuds/Jingle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is basically new to Skipper.</p>
<p>Movie-based with some show-fusion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Guilt

**Author's Note:**

  * For [madeline](https://archiveofourown.org/users/madeline/gifts).



> Hopefully I got the username right; this is for the lovely person who commented on Anxieties.

Guilt is relatively foreign to Skipper. He takes the belief that he’s always in the right, and usually – if he isn’t really – he just tells himself he is until he’s convinced. Fake it until you make it, right?

But almost losing Private? Two months later, he still feels guilty about that.

Skipper _has_ lost two men before, but he’s told the story of Mandfredi and Johnson so many times, changing it to fit the lesson he needed his new team to learn, that they feel more like fables than fallen soldiers.

Besides, they were hardened and weary. Nothing like Private.

And now… Private is different. He’s still _Private_ , thank God, but Skipper has noticed how he’s more nervous, and more reluctant to leave the zoo. Even for snowcones, which is completely unheard of.

The weirdest thing, though, is that Private hasn’t said anything. Private absolutely loves to talk about his emotions, which can usually drive Skipper and the rest of his brothers-in-arms a little crazy. Now, though, Skipper wishes he would share. He knows he could start the conversation, but emotions aren’t his strongest suit. Oh, he’s better off than Kowalski, that’s for sure, and usually not being the worst at emotions in the team was good enough for him.

Not these days.

Maybe he's over-reacting. Private still manages to leave the zoo, and does well once he's in Central Park. Private still seems _happy,_ almost all of the time.

But it had been _his fault_ , and Skipper is very aware of that. If he’d just been more careful; come up with a better plan… But hey, Private was fine in the end, right? He’d even save himself, and the most militant part of Skipper wonders if it had all been good for the younger penguin. Maybe he’d needed to save himself to gain some confidence and control. Mostly, though, Skipper just felt… Awful.

How could he have let this happen?

**Author's Note:**

> I know. This is getting too heavy for the franchise, but it's so rewarding to work on.


End file.
